There was only one speaker at Sen. Harry Reid's press conference today who was NOT a member of the U.S. Senate. Her name? Loretta Johnson, a home health care worker who lost her own coverage when her husband became ill, and Loretta was forced to quit her job.

Loretta is an SEIU member who worked for 18 years as a deputy courthouse clerk in Lebanon, Virginia. When her husband fell ill, Loretta quit her job to take care of him, and subsequently lost their health insurance, income, retirement, security, sick days and more. Today, as a personal care assistant, Loretta works to build the Personal Care Assistant Association in Virginia. While she brings home a paycheck, she still doesn't have health insurance or benefits of any kind.

Below are Loretta's remarks at today's Senate health care bill unveiling:

My husband had open heart surgery and was diabetic. And in 2000, he was so sick I had to quit my job to take care of him. So, I lost my health insurance. After he passed away, I became a home health care worker. I'm at the bedside every day giving people the same type of care I gave my husband. But, I don't have health insurance.

And that is why I am so proud to be standing here today representing SEIU and its 2.1 million workers.

Because, after more than 100 years of debate, Senator Reid said, "Enough". Enough scare tactics. Enough politics as usual.

The Senate's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act puts us one step closer to health care that works for every American.

Because of his leadership, insurance companies will no longer control our healthcare system - making sure people like me actually have a choice.

Now, in my opinion, there's probably some room for improvement. But I know, Senator Reid and the Senators standing here today are as committed as we are to making sure people can afford the care they need.

And believe me, I'll be up here to make sure every one of these Senators does just that.

Watch full video from today's press conference with Loretta here.

You can also see Loretta Johnson at SeniorstoSeniors.org.

There was only one speaker at Sen. Harry Reid's press conference today who was NOT a member of the U.S. Senate. Her name? Loretta Johnson, a home health care worker who lost her own coverage when her husband became ill, and Loretta was forced to quit her job.

Loretta is an SEIU member who worked for 18 years as a deputy courthouse clerk in Lebanon, Virginia. When her husband fell ill, Loretta quit her job to take care of him, and subsequently lost their health insurance, income, retirement, security, sick days and more. Today, as a personal care assistant, Loretta works to build the Personal Care Assistant Association in Virginia. While she brings home a paycheck, she still doesn't have health insurance or benefits of any kind.

Below are Loretta's remarks at today's Senate health care bill unveiling:

My husband had open heart surgery and was diabetic. And in 2000, he was so sick I had to quit my job to take care of him. So, I lost my health insurance. After he passed away, I became a home health care worker. I'm at the bedside every day giving people the same type of care I gave my husband. But, I don't have health insurance.

And that is why I am so proud to be standing here today representing SEIU and its 2.1 million workers.

Because, after more than 100 years of debate, Senator Reid said, "Enough". Enough scare tactics. Enough politics as usual.

The Senate's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act puts us one step closer to health care that works for every American.

Because of his leadership, insurance companies will no longer control our healthcare system - making sure people like me actually have a choice.

Now, in my opinion, there's probably some room for improvement. But I know, Senator Reid and the Senators standing here today are as committed as we are to making sure people can afford the care they need.

And believe me, I'll be up here to make sure every one of these Senators does just that.

Watch Loretta speak here:

You can also see Loretta Johnson at SeniorstoSeniors.org

During a town hall meeting on Monday, Senator Harry Reid showed his support for health care for all Americans by donning a scrub top from the Scrubs project.

Rah Abdullah, RN at UHS Valley Hospital and an SEIU NV board member, gave the top she signed to Reid, whom she met with in late June during her visit to DC. The event was very well attended, with 50 SEIU members as part of a crowd of over 500 concerned Nevada residents.

The following day, members of SEIU Local 1199NW presented a whole pile of signed scrubs to Rep. Jim McDermott.

The group of SEIU nurses from two area hospital thanked him for his work on healthcare reform, and asked him to continue the fight for real reform when he gets back to DC. Each nurse presented Rep. McDermott with their own signed scrub and shared their own healthcare story, and then presented a stack from other nurses and healthcare workers in the area.

SEIU District 1199 also got in on the Scrubs action when the OFA bus tour rolled into Columbus, OH.

District 1199 was able to get 72 scrubs signed before the rally, which featured SEIU RN Barb Montgomery.

Medical students a Brown University in Providence, RI also joined the Scrubs campaign by writing their stories on scrub tops as well.

One student wrote this sentiment his signed scrub:

"I work at a clinic where patients who are otherwise uninsured become eligible for care by lottery. BY LOTTERY! Unbelievable. We can do better."

Tell Congress that fixing health care comes first.

SEIU believes in rewarding work and in tune with motto, we're rolling out a new television ad campaign today in support of Senator Harry Reid's work on behalf of Nevada's working families.

The statewide cable ad, titled "Hard Work," highlights a few of the many issues Senator Reid has been spearheading on behalf of Nevada's families, including healthcare reform, investments in alternative energy, rebuilding our infrastructure and an economic recovery package that works for every American.

Sen. Reid has worked to bring Republicans and Democrats together to fix the economic mess that President Bush and his Wall Street cronies left working families as they rode into the sunset with billions in taxpayer-financed bonuses. "Our nation's economy is in a state of emergency. The costs of inaction are too steep. It is time to put the needs of the American people ahead of partisan politics," said Reid earlier this month.

Watch the tv ad (the first of the 2010 campaign) here:

Ad Buy Is First Of 2010 Campaign

Las Vegas - SEIU announced today that it has begun a new, aggressive television ad campaign in support of Senator Harry Reid's work on behalf of Nevada's working families. He has worked to bring Republicans and Democrats together to fix the economic mess that President Bush and his Wall Street cronies left working families as they rode into the sunset with billions in taxpayer-financed bonuses. Earlier this week, the National Republican Senatorial Committee went up with its first attack ad for Senator Reid's work to build a bipartisan recovery package that not only addresses the crisis and relieves the pain, but also lays the groundwork for a stronger and fairer future.

"The extreme right wing of the Republican leadership seem so stuck in the divisive politics of the past that they didn't get the memo of change American voters delivered in 2008," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. "They talk a big game about working together to fix our economy but they cannot hide their true obstructionist ways. Their first ad of the season is an attack ad on an economic recovery bill that every working family wants, every economist agrees we need and many of their own Republican Senators support."

The statewide cable ad, titled "Hard Work," highlights a few of the many issues Senator Reid has been spearheading on behalf of Nevada's families, including tax cuts, investments in alternative energy, an economic recovery package that works for every American and rebuilding our infrastructure.

"If Republicans keep this up, working families will vote in even more Democratic Senators in 2010 to ensure lobbyists and corporate insiders cannot stand in the way of rebuilding the American Dream," said Burger.

"Hard Work," produced by The New Media Firm, can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CiruWYUcjM.

The transcript follows:

VO: The economy is in trouble.

But our Senator, Harry Reid has been working with President Obama to put together an economic recovery package that will create jobs by investing in energy and transportation projects.

And Harry Reid is taking the lead to cut taxes for struggling middle class families.

Call Senator Reid and thank him for working to make sure Nevada gets our fair share - to get the economy moving again.

SEIU is responsible for the content of this advertising.

According to the most recent estimates from the Census Bureau, 8.6 million children in the United States lacked health coverage in 2007. Last year, Congress debated and passed two pieces of bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which would have reduced the number of uninsured children by almost half and expanded health coverage throughout the nation to as many as 4 million additional uninsured children. President Bush vetoed both bills.

According to Families USA, the vast majority of uninsured children come from families where at least one parent works (88.2 percent), and more than two-thirds of uninsured children--or 68.5 percent--live in households where at least one family member works full-time, year-round. And more than half of the nation's uninsured children come from low-income families with incomes below twice the poverty level, who are likely eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP.

So although the Bush Administration proclaimed it would "leave no child behind" when it comes to education, 8.6 million American children - a majority of whom are from working families - are being left behind because they lack health coverage. "The sad reality is that kids who don't have health insurance are far more likely to get sidetracked--right at the beginning of their lives--because their families can't afford quality care," said SEIU Healthcare chair Dennis Rivera.

During the current economic downturn as working families are struggling to make ends meet, no one should have to choose between health care for their kids and making a mortgage or rent payment. Hopefully, things will be looking up for the nation's uninsured children in the near future, as the new Administration and president-elect Barack Obama are widely expected to push for eligibility expansions for SCHIP, which is up for reauthorization anyway in the spring.

Rising Tide of Support for SCHIP

Two-thirds of the public (82 percent) supports SCHIP renewal and extending children's health benefits to legal immigrant children, according to a poll released yesterday by child advocacy group First Focus. Key poll results also show that 67 percent of respondents favored eliminating the five-year waiting period for legal immigrant children, while 19 percent were opposed. [SCHIP is not available to legal immigrants during their first five years in the country, with the exception of those living in states that use state funds to cover legal immigrants who qualify.]

Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) hailed the poll as evidence of the nation's broad, bipartisan support for renewal of the SCHIP program, which expires in March, 2009.

Senator Harry Reid at the announcement:

"The findings announced today confirmed what we knew over a year ago - Americans support providing children with health care coverage and they understand the importance of removing the five-year waiting period for coverage for legal immigrant children and pregnant women."

Senator Rockefeller:

"I look forward to working with President-elect Obama and the Congressional leadership to quickly reauthorize CHIP so that millions of uninsured children - including legal immigrant children - receive the health coverage they need."

Poll respondents favored expanding SCHIP by a margin of 79-15 to ensure that all children in America, including legal immigrant children, have health care coverage.

"In the debate of 2007, Republicans used the coverage of legal immigrant children against expanding the children's health insurance program," said First Focus spokesperson Christopher Spina to CQ yesterday. "We clearly now see a mandate among the American people."

More findings from the First Focus poll.